By Zephyria 
The inside of the cafe is noisy again today. How did this quiet place end up like this? It’s probably because of that person. I stared with soulless eyes at the grandmother who was preoccupied with loudly bragging about her grandson in the cafe.
“That’s why my grandson studied so hard to get into that university. Right? On this small island, you have to take a boat to the mainland just to go to school. He beat out all those smart kids in Seoul who attend those fancy academies to get into that school!”
“He’s impressive, truly impressive. But how many times are you going to tell that story? I’ve practically memorized it.”
“Listen, just keep listening! You have to keep hearing good news for good energy to flow in. Isn’t that right, Boss?”
“Yes, yes. That’s right.”
Today, as always, I countered the incoming attack with a smile plastered on my face. Grandmother, I’m sorry, but that isn’t stimulating me at all. In fact, since you brought your friends along to help me sell drinks, it couldn’t be better.
The reason the grandmother has practically set up camp in my cafe is that since Jin-sang—no, Jin-su—declared he wanted to call me ‘hyung,’ he has practically been living here. He says he’s sad because he has to return to Seoul in a few days? For me, there’s nothing bad about having a young customer residing here and helping me sell drinks.
I don’t know where the grandmother heard that Jin-su was here, but she drops in at all hours to brag about her grandson. She’s definitely saying it for me to hear. You rootless Omega, don’t you dare hit on my precious grandson, something like that? She’s mistaken; does she think every Omega likes every Alpha?
Since her extreme love for her grandson created this situation, what can I do? On the other hand, I am a bit curious about that emotion. What it feels like to love a grandson. Also, I can’t even imagine what it’s like for a grandson to love his grandparents.
I think I can’t gauge it because I’ve neither received nor given such love. Would it be different from how I love my father? Is a grandmother’s love different from a grandfather’s? It’s truly amazing how one can cherish and love a grandson like that. I was beaten every day.
“Boss, why did you come to the island at such a young age? Everyone else is busy trying to leave.”
I wonder what kind of answer she wants to hear. She’d probably faint if I told her I ran away to avoid my husband, right? She’d probably click her tongue if I told her I got married at twelve. Let’s just smile. In times like this, smiling silently and letting it pass is the best.
“Still, you should graduate from college. In this day and age. If you want to meet a good Alpha like our Jin-su.”
That damn ‘our Jin-su.’ I’m going to memorize it. The corners of my mouth curled up a bit higher. Smile, Hae-joo.
“Our Jin-su will find a good Omega at K University. Who knows? He might meet a decent chaebol or a noble.”
A chaebol or a noble. Now that is a dangerous thing to say. The grandmother is trying to ruin her precious grandson. I’ve seen and heard plenty while in the palace. They want to live in their own world where others cannot intrude. The world has changed and the boundary between nobles and citizens has disappeared? It’s fine as long as their hearts match and the financial power follows? Not a chance.
Even if they are a great Alpha or Omega, if they are of a common class and not a noble, they will remain nothing more than a past lover to a noble Omega or Alpha. In the best-case scenario, they live as a mistress or a kept man, like a shadow. There are cases where they succeed in marriage, but those are extremely rare, and the majority of endings are breakups.
Nobles are a species that always want to be superior to others. Meeting a wonderful Omega with conditions similar to Jin-su’s is what’s best for him. Especially with a personality as transparently sparkling as Jin-su’s, it’s obvious he wouldn’t be able to blend into that hypocritical world. The grandmother, unaware of this, is lost in her dreams and acts generous toward me.
“If that happens, I’ll tell him to find a decent Alpha and introduce him to you. Since you’ve become acquainted with my grandson, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy such a luxury?”
“Grandmother. Decent nobles have no interest in commoners. No matter how decent the Alpha is. If you don’t want to ruin your beloved grandson, make sure he doesn’t even linger near nobles.”
I wiped the smile off my face and spoke to her with absolute sincerity. I definitely warned her. I hope she doesn’t regret it later, kicking the ground in frustration. Though, someone like Jin-su would probably judge for himself.
I thought she would snap and lash out at me for nitpicking an adult’s words, but surprisingly, the grandmother just stared at me in silence. What’s with that reaction? Now I’m getting nervous for no reason. Slightly avoiding her gaze, I looked elsewhere.
“How do you know that so well?”
“…Let’s just say it’s because I have a harsh fate.”
“You know it so well, it’s as if you’ve suffered something bad at the hands of nobles.”
I know it well. Is it just nobles? I’m too tired to list them all. From my grandfather, who was a noble, to my husband, who was the Emperor, I’ve suffered through many things. When I curled the corners of my mouth without answering again, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously and began to scrutinize me.
“Grandmother! Were you bullying our Boss again? I can’t seem to leave this place alone!”
When an employee, who had just finished a delivery to a nearby building, rushed over in disgust, I vaguely tried to stop him, saying that wasn’t the case. The grandmother looked like she didn’t know what she’d done wrong, and scolding her there would only hurt feelings further. After staying for a while, the grandmother stood up the moment she spotted Jin-su opening the cafe door and walking in.
“Oh! Grandmother, you’re here again?”
“Yes. You’re here again too?”
“It’s because it’s quiet here, so I can study well!”
“They say sitting around a cafe and studying is such a nuisance. Let’s go. Do it at home!”
Unable to win against the grandmother who was pulling on his hoodie’s hood, Jin-su left the cafe without even getting to sit in a chair. Aw, I won’t get to hear how kids these days hang out today? Listening to that was quite a treat. Unfortunately, I had to let Jin-su go as he looked at me with a miserable face. Still, the grandmother helped me sell a lot today. Hehe. Please come again tomorrow.
∗ ∗ ∗
A plain SUV is parked a short distance from the cafe entrance. After a moment, the window of the parked car rolls down slightly. In the back seat, Min-hyeok was watching Hae-joo’s cafe while wearing sunglasses. As Jin-su and his grandmother emerged, Min-hyeok calmly observed the two.
“The Grand Imperial Concubine has a harsh fate…”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He definitely said that then. He said right in front of the user that if an Alpha isn’t careful with an Omega, their life gets twisted…”
“That goes for Omegas too. If they meet the wrong Alpha, their life gets twisted. Like Hae-joo.”
Since the only decent Alpha around Hae-joo had been Cha Han-bin. Lately, Min-hyeok found himself doing an unusual amount of self-reflection. The person sitting next to Min-hyeok, answering his questions while reading his mood, was the friend who was always with Jin-su. He was the friend who had been with him since they arrived on the island, who was at Hae-joo’s cafe, and who was there when Jin-su met his grandmother at the beach.
He was the son of an imperial civil servant, a classmate of Jin-su attending K University, and simultaneously, an informant Min-hyeok had placed by Jin-su’s side. In truth, this was a plan Min-hyeok had lucked into. After discovering that quite a few civil servants had children attending K University, Min-hyeok searched for someone of a similar age and found a classmate of Jin-su’s. He had intended to just keep him close to find out how Hae-joo was doing, but he hadn’t expected such detailed reports of his daily life.
“But, Your Majesty. Jin-su is kind.”
“Does a kind kid bully the Palace Lord like that at first?”
“That was because Jin-su misunderstood.”
“That’s why I’m saying, why do you target an innocent person without investigating thoroughly? How reckless.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“What? What are you sorry for?”
Hearing the intimidated voice, Min-hyeok felt sorry, wondering if he had been too hard on the kid. He was sitting here, trying his best in front of none other than the Emperor, and perhaps Min-hyeok’s tone had been too stiff. He should be considerate of someone who does his job so well. After another moment of self-reflection, the moment he looked out the window, he happened to lock eyes with Jin-su’s grandmother passing by the car.
“Hm? There’s another person with a harsh fate here?”
“……?”
Did I hear that right? Was she talking to me? Min-hyeok muttered to himself, stunned by the absurd comment. I’m wearing sunglasses; how does she know I have a harsh fate? Having heard his grandmother say such things to anyone, Jin-su was startled beside her. He hurriedly bowed his head to Min-hyeok, and Min-hyeok rolled up the window. As the window closed, Min-hyeok heard him pleading with his grandmother.
“He looks like a tourist, what are you talking about, Grandmother, seriously! Please watch your words! Please! You’ll get us into big trouble. Do you want to close down the raw fish restaurant?”
“What, I just spoke the truth. What does he do for a living to have a face like that?”
“How can you tell his face in that short time! Half his face was covered!”
Despite his desperate pleas, his grandmother’s reaction was indifferent. Listening to that from inside, fatigue washed over him. How should I put it—it was a different dimension of discomfort compared to the high-ranking officials Min-hyeok usually dealt with. He had thought the people around him were the most demanding in the world, but this was a type of person he had never experienced.
If the people Hae-joo deals with after running away from him are like that, wouldn’t Hae-joo feel wronged too? Min-hyeok entered his third session of self-reflection.